SHEEP 



43 



PARASITES 



or worms, arc the greatest menace the flock 

 master meets with. Careful attention to the 

 feed and water .supply will overcome this. 

 Stomach Worm. The most important 

 parasite is that known as the stomach worm. 

 It is a small hair like worm about three- 

 quarters of an inch in length, the male ])ein<>; 

 a little shorter. The worm is a true Mood 



A CUAMPION IIAAirsUIKl-: KA.M 



HAMPSHIRE DOWS BREED, native of En n I mid— mutton 

 type — lari/e size — rnnis about 240 lbs., ewes ISO to 200 lbs. 

 E.rrtUent mutton qualities — xeool yield, coarse, inferior to 

 Shropshire or Southdown, being about 7 lbs. 



sucker and frequcmtly attaches itself firmly 

 to the walls of the stomach. 



Symptoms in the young sheep are at first 

 difficult to determine. As the worms in- 

 crease in numbers, we find that the lambs 

 will have dropsical swellings along the al)- 

 domen and brisket. This dropsical con- 

 dition is due to the anemia which follows 

 the heavy infestation of any variety of 

 worms which sustain themselves by blood 

 sucking. On opening the stomach of a she(>p, 

 little at first will be seen, but by closely 

 watching the contents of the stomach and 

 holding a small j^ortion of the contents level 

 with the eye, millions of living worms may 

 be seen. In some cases we have a seething 

 mass in continual motion. 



The eggs are passed in the feces by the 

 older sheep. Hatching in a few days they 



crawl up the grass lilades while they are wet 

 from the dew or rain, and are taken up into 

 the stomach by the sheep as they feed. 

 Knowing their habits we can prevent infes- 

 tation by keeping the sheep off ])astures 

 until the grass is dry. 



Verminous Bronchitis. Another condition 

 due to infested ))astures. The worm pene- 

 trates into the air ]iassages (bronchial tubes) 

 causing l)ronchitis. The life history of this 

 worm is very similar to that of the stomach 

 worm. 



Symptoms usually make their appearance 

 durmg July and August, and as in calves and 

 pigs we have a peculiar cough that is almost 

 diagnostic. 



In examining for this worm th(; bronchial 

 tubes should be split clear to their termi- 

 nations and somewhere toward their termi- 

 nals the worms will be found. 



Treatment is entirely unsatisfactory, and 

 so preventive measures are necessary. 

 These consist of keeping animals from the 

 pasture while the dew is on the grass. Sheej) 

 ])astures should be rotated two or three 

 times during the season. When it is known a 



PRIZE d()Usi:t I{ams— ir.i.ixois stati: fair 



HORNED DORSETSOF EXGLAA'D. Excellent wool and mut- 

 ton type qualities. UnejrccUed breeding qualities — hardy grazers. 

 Rams weigh 200 lbs., ewes 160 lbs., shearing 6 to 10 lbs. uool. 



flock is afft'cted with worms pastures should 

 be plowed up. In case this cannot be done 

 they should be burned over in the spring. 



WHERE PEACE AND QUIET REIGN 



